Durango Garden

The compound has this big 'ol garden. I haven't done any weeding since this infamous summer and so it's like seeing an old friend again. I came in last night at dark with dirty fingers smelling like mint.

In other news, there are large-ish fires in Colorado. We are up with the sun and the sky is orange and hazy. It's no good. 

Bachelorette on a Pony

I have this new Durango friend and she invited me to her bachelorette pony ride. We shared champagne out of the bottle and I rode a horse called Diamond. A ride through an aspen grove on a summer afternoon with a bunch of girls ! YEAH!

At the end there were four stripped-down and whiskyed-up cowboys doing a provocative dance routine. Quite the surprise. Wedding this weekend !

Photo from my instagram

Washington !

I dig Washington. It's green and rainy and smells like dirt. Joel is from a cozy little town outside Seattle and THIS IS HIS DRIVEWAY.

It's been a great week. I went to my first bachelor party, scored an aggressive whiffle ball game, drank hip coffee in Portland, and tonight we're going to a wedding. We've heard there will be science experiments and ping pong.

Blake + Olivia's

I took the ol' San Diego-Seattle-Miami-Charleston red eye and here I am. Blake and Olivia are in Austin and I am house-sitting their dreamy Queen Street apartment. I was missing Charleston more than I realized and when I stepped of the plane it smelled like lake and summer and trees. It already warm and sultry outside at 6:30 AM but I DON'T MIND A BIT !

The New House

My mom just bought this little 50's cottage and has been furiously fixing it up since February. My brother sneaked video of her dancing with a paintbrush in her hand at 11:30 at night one time. It's not quite there yet but it has made the transition from brown and stinky to fresh and white and airy. The yard is still dirt and the the living room needs a second coat but it smells like gardenia and feels like the family home. There's even a dutch door. SO!

Brother

I'm home!

My brother and I both have June birthdays. We celebrated yesterday with the beach and new wetsuits. The day was RIDICULOUSLY PRETTY and the water was warm. It felt like the old days except that Nick has a mustache. We're gonna do it all over again today before I take off for a while. FAMILY!

The Compound

While I wait out some job uncertainty, I'm camped out at The Compound. (Sounds a bit intimidating, no?) There's a root cellar, a pizza oven, two wood shops, three little homes, a tiny creek, two kitties, five dogs, seven humans, and one huge garden. The property is at the base of a towering red rock ridge and I scramble to the top of it on my tip-toes every day. It's quiet and I'm digging it.

Into the Evening

My birthday was slow and sweet. I stayed in bed late, went on a hot hike, jumped into an ICE COLD river, and made dinner for four. The candles blew out in the breeze but we stayed out until we were squinting at each other in the dark. I have those post-birthday-back-to-work blues....

28 !

Happy Birthday !

In my 27th year I SURE LEARNED A LOT. I learned to take care of my teeth and my finances and a thing or two about love. I lived out of a suitcase, took a LOT of plane-rides, drove across country, edited a magazine, hunkered down with my family, and lost one of my two dads. The thing about adversity is that it really shifts perspective—today I'm stoked on warm sunshine and my sweet puppy and good health. Cliche, no? Also I got this great poloroid camera for my birthday... so!